Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PgCert HE)
The Covid pandemic has completely transformed the landscape and practice of those who teach in Higher Education. Teachers now need to be able to move seamlessly between physical and online teaching environments. They need to be digitally confident and capable and able to apply pedagogical principles to new and changing contexts.
As part of the Institutional commitment to the development of staff and the drive for excellence in the teaching and the student experience, the PgCert HE has been designed to meet these needs of University of Lincoln staff who are new to teaching in Higher Education.
On successful completion participants will exit the programme with a PgCert HE which is recognised across the HE sector as a qualification to teach in Higher Education.
PgCert HE FAQs
What are the programme aims?
The programme has been designed to:
- Prepare staff to deliver innovative and excellent teaching and learning experiences that will engage and inspire our students
- Promote a culture of reflection, evaluation, research and continuous improvement in relation to academic practice
- Ensure high levels of digital literacy and digital capability in our participants and the use effective use of digital technology in their practice
- Ensure that inclusive and collaborative practice becomes the norm for our participants across all aspects of their teaching, learner support and assessment practice.
Am I eligible to apply?
You will be eligible to apply if:
- You are a member of academic staff at the University who is not eligible to participate in the APA programme
- You are a professional service member of staff with a role in teaching or supporting the learning and development of students
- You have a UK honours degree (or equivalent) in any subject
- You have 15 hours (or more) of direct student contact during the year of study
- You have a 0.5FTE contract or above with the University of Lincoln
- You have approval from your Head of School/Department to apply/participate in this programme
How is the programme structured and what does it cover?
The 60-credit programme is divided into two 30-credit modules which will be delivered sequentially. The programme will take 12 months to complete on a part time basis.
The first module is called Effective Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. The content for this module is divided into three blocks, (1) Theories and frameworks in education, (2) Planning and delivering effective teaching, and (3) Inclusive practice.
The second module is called Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. This module is also divided into three blocks which focus on (1) Assessment and feedback, (2) Methods and mechanisms for evaluating the quality of teaching and (3) Continuing Professional Development.
How is it taught and assessed?
The programme will be delivered using a blended learning model. Each week there will be a mix of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (self-directed) learning activities and these may take place in a physical or online learning environment. All of the information about how to engage with the teaching will be provided for participants in advance and via the University’s VLE (Blackboard).
We anticipate that participants will need approximately half a day a week to fully engage with the programme, and where live sessions are taking place these will be held on a Tuesday afternoon.
There are three summative assessments on this programme:
- A portfolio of evidence of teaching practice (submitted at the end of the first module)
- An evaluation of teaching practice (oral presentation) (submitted the end of the second module)
- A plan for continued professional development (written submission or oral assessment) (submitted the end of the second module).
The programme has been designed so that there is no overlap between the teaching and assessment periods in order to enable staff participating to manage their workloads and other commitments.
Where can I get more information?
The programme team are based in the Lincoln Academy for Learning and Teaching (LALT) and are happy to provide more information and answer any questions about the programme. Please email PGCertHE@lincoln.ac.uk.